No Jacket Required at Our New Year's Eve Party

Days 224-225 |  Richmond to Palmetto   

We finished up last-minute packing on Sunday morning and I loaded the rental car as Barry took a load of trash to the dump. Our still-blooming Christmas cactus was top-stock in the back seat. The final checklist included shuffling the cars in the driveway, resetting the thermostat, and turning off the propane fireplaces and hot water heater. A final walk through the back yard had me wondering what it would look like on our next visit. Would the ground ever dry out? How many leaves have yet to fall? I will miss the cycle of the azaleas, but the roses should in full bloom. The only color on this cold winter day was the bright pink flowers on my five camellias.

We hit Interstate 95 and made great time through Virginia and North Carolina. We made a quick stop to say "Hey" to Pedro at South of the Border. Our small-world moment occurred a short time later when we pulled into the rest stop in Santee, SC and recognized the man walking his dog in front of us. I noticed the "I Love Deltaville" sticker on his car just as Barry said, "That's Chris" -- our excellent "Canvas Guru" who has done quite a bit of work on both Laughing Place and Crossroads over the years. They spent several minutes talking in the rain, before getting back on the road. The trip through South Carolina was a nightmare and we averaged 37 mph for the next five hours. There were no accidents, just too many cars on the two-lane highway. We celebrated entering Georgia and getting another lane by stopping for a quick bite to eat. We checked in at the hotel at 9:00, took a shower, and quickly called it a night.

One last long, hot shower from a real showerhead to start the day and we were on the road at 8:30. We entered Florida four miles later and stopped at the Welcome Center to pick up some visitor guides. There were no traffic delays this New Year's Eve morning and we flew back to Riviera Dunes Marina. We required the same four dock cart loads to get most of our "stuff" onboard. The new outboard is still in the trunk as we need to do some work on the flybridge before we raise it up on the dinghy.

The afternoon was absolutely beautiful -- 80 degrees, deep blue sky and a light breeze. We quickly changed into our Florida clothes and put the memories of cold temperatures and frost on the windshields behind us. We put our resupply of chicken pies and macaroni and cheese in the freezer and made the bed with a new quilt we received. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.

There was a nice sign outside the marina office announcing tonight's festivities. We were fortunate to secure a dinner reservation for 8:00. On our way up to the restaurant we ran into fellow Loopers Debbie and Ron (Bucket List), and visited for a while. Glass Onion, a Beatles tribute band, started their set at 8:00, just as we were seated. We enjoyed listening to them and singing along. As we finished up dinner we joked that with the warm temperature a palm tree would be more appropriate for our New Year's Eve photo than the Christmas tree, so we did a retake on the way back to Crossroads.

The windows, hatches, and ports are all open and we're enjoying listening to Glass Onion while unpacking a little more. I hope we'll make it two more hours to midnight. Thanks for following along on what was a great 2018. Happy New Year!


Update: We did make it to midnight and listened to the countdown while standing on Fiberglass Beach. Fireworks could be heard all around us, but were only occasionally visible above the trees. The band played Old Lang Syne, but being a true Wahoo, I sang the words to the Good Old Song still feeling good about UVA's 28-0 victory over South Carolina in the Belk Bowl.

Cherishing the Gifts of Christmas

Days 209-223 |  Palmetto to VA to NC to VA   

We left Crossroads at Riviera Dunes Marina in Palmetto, FL on a rainy and windy Saturday, December 15. We filled up each of these two dock carts twice with all kinds of "stuff" that needed to go home -- cold weather clothes, dirty laundry, Christmas presents, and perishable food just to name a few categories. We cut across Florida to Jacksonville where we hopped on Interstate 95 and headed north to Richmond. We broke our trip into two days, stopping in Manning, SC after about ten hours on the road the first day.

Five hours remained on Sunday morning to arrive at my sister Lisa's house in time for her annual neighbor party. We pulled in right on time at 1:00 to find my parents already there and Lisa's amazing spread of appetizers and snacks neatly laid out around her kitchen. Three of my parents' long-time neighbors joined us and we spent the afternoon catching up and sharing stories. We grew up with the Moody and Broach families and all have been neighbors for 45-55 years. We finally arrived at our house after dark and unloaded everything into the downstairs. We went through our mail, scooped some Amazon packages off the front porch, turned on the heat, hot water heater and propane, and then called it a night. Everything else could wait.

Monday brought laundry, shopping, picking up all my e-commerce shipments from my parents' house, and putting up a few Christmas decorations -- my advent star and small tree on the porch, candles in the two front windows, and stockings hung on the mantle. Although I missed having a tree, this would prove to be just enough for this year.

We carried our cactus home with us, both to enjoy it's opening blooms and to keep in watered during our two-week absence. It also seemed to enjoy being home. Long-time friends Cindy and Larry picked us up on Tuesday for our traditional Christmas night out. We drove through the Illuminate Light Show before having a great dinner at the Iron Horse in Ashland. The mornings in Virginia were cold and I grumbled each time I had to scrape the frost off my windshield. Wednesday was full with a dentist cleaning appointment and haircut, both desperately needed. I met Ashley for supper and we had a great long chat while under no pressure to get back to work. Michelle and I were able to get in a three-mile walk-and-talk before the rain started on Thursday. I wasn't very good about taking pictures during this week, but we did get in a quick selfie before I drove off.

That afternoon I set up Santa's workshop downstairs and started wrapping presents. By the time Charlie Brown's Christmas was over, I was done. Friday, I headed west to visit my Crozet family. Glenda, Greg and Jaxon were back from Florida and watching the grandkids while their parents were at work. The girls all headed to Chick-fil-A for lunch before catching Mary Poppins Returns. What a special day! Dinner with my family on Saturday and yard work on Sunday brought us to a most-anticipated Christmas Eve. Barry and I both headed to Crozet for a great fellowship, an amazing spread of appetizers, gift exchange, and cookie baking. Each of the kids painted a glass vase in Crossroads' colors. They now have a prominent spot onboard. I was back home in time for the 5:00 candlelight service at Michelle's church and then home to stream the 7:45 candlelight service from Home Church in Winston-Salem. My heart was so full after an amazing day.

On Christmas morning we found that Santa had brought us a new outboard. Being that I had no tree, he and his elves decided to leave it in the garage. We packed up and headed over to my parents' house at 9:00 for presents and brunch. It was a good morning as we all gathered in the living room around their tree. Back to our house by 12:30, we quickly repacked and headed to Winston-Salem for Christmas night.

Twelve of us gathered around the table for our traditional meal of chicken pie, cole slaw, green beans, and deviled eggs. We laughed plenty and I cried as they all took part in recreating Candle Tea which I missed this year while in Alabama. Barry received a paddle to ensure that he never finds himself up a creek without one. We were going strong and were all shocked to see that it was after 11:00 when we finished up. A long day for sure, but I wouldn't trade a minute. So many memories were made that defy a short or logical explanation (you can never imagine why four of us are in a pool lined with candy canes in the Florida Room). Scenes such as this are all commonplace in our family that has way too much fun together. One of the treats at Aunt B and Uncle Bennett's house is being able to watch the sunrise while your head is still on the pillow. This one was particularly colorful on a cold morning when I didn't want to leave the covers.

We headed back to Richmond on Friday, bringing presents back for Mom, Dad, Lisa and Robbie. We had our final gift exchange tonight following a wonderful dinner prepared by Lisa. Our time home has flown by and we have cherished every moment with family and friends. Thanks to all who shared their time and gifts (yes, they are different than presents) with us. Due to illness, we missed a few "regulars," but were able to text and/or chat on the phone. We will head back towards Florida tomorrow morning and plan to stop just shy of the Florida-Georgia line. We're leaving our cold-weather clothes at home. I hope it warms up quickly.

We'll Be Home For Christmas

Day 208 |  Palmetto    

The good news was that today was warm. The temperature reached 79 -- just what I've been waiting for. The bad news was that it was stormy, rainy and windy all day, putting some of our plans on hold. Barry ran over to West Marine, just because he could. I stayed onboard and worked on a fun last-minute Christmas project. We packed up as much as we could and took several loads to the car, between downpours. After dark we walked the docks and took a few final looks at Crossroads and her lights. There are two photos because one was my iPhone and the other Barry's Pixel. Neither phone did very well.  I will take the lights down tomorrow morning before we depart, then carry them home so I won't have to store them onboard. It has been fun having them up, but they also presented challenges in handling our docklines, fenders, and anchor bridle.

We will start heading home tomorrow morning and I will take my usual break from regular posts while away from Crossroads. We anticipate being back onboard by Sunday, December 30. As with all travel planning, that's subject to change. Thanks for following along with our Great Loop journey. We're almost seven months and just over 3,500 nautical miles into it. To start 2019, we look forward to exploring the west coast of Florida for a couple of months -- first heading back north to Tampa and Clearwater before heading south. There are plenty of places, ranging from secluded anchorages to large cities, that we're looking forward to visiting. Merry Christmas!

Ho-Ho-Hum Day

Days 207 |  Palmetto    

A day like this has been a long time coming. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. No routes to plan. No weather to watch. We spent the morning doing a few boat chores and started to do a little packing for our trip home. I will roll the dice that most of the ridiculously cold weather is behind us. I packed up half of my Cold Gear in anticipation of moderate (and warmer) temperatures ahead of us. The sun was out this morning and made for comfortable reading on Fiberglass Beach. When the clouds rolled in, it became chilly and I retreated to the pilothouse, where my Christmas cactus is now close to full bloom. Barry picked up the rental car at 1:00 and we agreed the Camry was large enough to shuttle us and all our stuff from here to there, and points in between. I turned over 200 pages in my latest book, with only a few quick naps along the way. A Trans Siberian Orchestra CD was playing on the stereo. We walked around the marina and enjoyed the views. Amazing how palm trees still look good against cloudy skies.

Blu Mangrove, the restaurant at the marina, was having dueling pianos on the deck and we listened for a while before returning to Crossroads. We had signed up for a webinar on cruising the Bahamas that began at 7:00. Can't say that we learned much, but felt good that we were aware of much of the information covered. Thank you, Ti Amo, for years of intel.

We will start loading the car tomorrow morning in advance of wind and rain that will arrive by mid-day. Some things will have to wait until Saturday morning, but the more we can get done tomorrow, the better.

Crossing Our Wake -- Part A

Days 206 |  Madiera Beach to Palmetto  |  5.7 Hours  |  29 Miles  

Shortly after 8:00 we cast off from Miss Utah and held station as Chris raised and washed their anchor before getting underway. We led the way south down the GICW and into to some very skinny water. The posted signs, our depth gauge, and the visible sandbars all reinforced the fact that there was not much water to spare.

As our day progressed, things began looking up. The bridges opened promptly upon request. Large Christmas trees and palm trees were frequent sights along the shore. The Treasure Island Bridge was notable for its ornate columns.

The Corey Causeway Bridge was being worked on and only the East-side span opened. This made for an interesting trip through as we had to hug the left fender instead of our usual track right down the center. We exited into Tampa Bay and got our first look at the majestic Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Miss Utah veered off to the east as we said our goodbyes, passed under the approach to the bridge, and headed to Marjorie Park Marina in Tampa. We continued to parallel the bridge, crossed the mouth of Tampa Bay, and entered the Manatee River.

At this point the dolphins joined us and put on quite a show with their high-flying acrobatics. As we neared Riviera Dunes Marina we heard a familiar voice on the radio -- that of Debbie on Bucket List. We came into the marina, tied up, and were pleasantly surprised to find she and Ron docked just behind us. We had met them in Norfolk last May and traveled with them many times along the way. They crossed their wake (completed the Loop) a few weeks ago. We were able to peel off a few layers of Cold Gear and enjoy the sunshine for a couple of hours.

Today was actually a big day as Barry and Crossroads technically crossed their wake. Riviera Dunes was the home to Crossroads, then known as Penguin Crossing, when we purchased her back on June 23, 2016. We celebrated him crossing his wake with some nice Prosecco as the sun set on the day.

We will officially claim our Gold Looper burgee when we return to Virginia in late spring, for that is when I will have completed the whole circuit. Back in 2016, Barry cut across Lake Okeechobee to the east coast. After Christmas we will head all the way down the west coast to the Keys and then over to the Bahamas. These new destinations should keep him interested.

Low Water and High Times

Days 205 |  Tarpon Springs to Madiera Beach  |  4.6 Hours  |  29 Miles  

The orange glow in our windows this morning was enough to get me out of bed and take a look. The sun rose over our bow, but the color quickly faded to gray by the time we cast off our lines at 8:20 along with Miss Utah. We were at low tide which revealed many interesting features as we moved out the Anclote River, including crab pots and mud flats. The Anclote Keys Lighthouse led us back out into the GICW where the water was skinny. Charts showed expected depths to be two feet under our keel. Either through the effects of a low new moon tide and/or shoaling, we saw depths under one foot. Nerve wracking, but we never touched.

 
Barrier islands dotted the western boundary and in the gaps we could see that the Gulf of Mexico was still churned up by the wind. The ride in the GICW was smooth and we definitely had better views than if we'd gone outside. We passed by a resemblance of Gilligan's Island and saw dozens of dolphin swimming nearby. With temperatures in the mid-40s, I did not venture outside the pilot house to take more pictures. We had three bridges that needed to open for us. The Dunedin-Honeymoon Island Bridge was the first. We passed through without delay.

I know its a bad picture, but I had my first pink bird encounter. My first thought was flamingo, but Google later helped me identify them as spoonbills. Hopefully I will have more opportunities to do them and their striking color justice. Our second opening was by the Indian Rocks Causeway Bridge, a rare two-lane drawbridge. Yay! Again, no waiting. The bridge tender even chatted with us about being on the Loop and the snowfall in Richmond. We agreed Florida was a much better place to be. Three miles south, we came to the Park Boulevard Bridge, and again had no significant wait. We had made great time ... and the sun was shining brightly.

An osprey was enjoying its lunch on a daymarker. The tide was coming in, but boats were still high and dry on the shore. Large and luxurious houses lined the water on both shores. Abandoned boats, such as this sailboat without a mast and with an open forward hatch, are a big issue in Florida.

We arrived at Madiera Beach and spotted our friend's boat outside their home, also sitting on the bottom. We had traveled with Larry and Carol from Trenton, Ontario, right up to the day that we had to return to Richmond from Columbus, MS, for the passing of Barry's dad. Sea Life crossed her wake just a few weeks ago, and we had looked forward to catching up with them. Miss Utah came in and set her anchor and, as we've done multiple times over the past two months, we rafted up to them. We enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. It was too cold (upper 50s) to sit out on Fiberglass Beach, but it was toasty (80s) up in the enclosed flybridge. I started a new book and knocked out 50 pages before dozing off for a while.

By 4:00 the rising tide had freed Sea Life from the shore and Larry and Carol came over to the anchorage to welcome us. We gathered onboard Miss Utah for appys and compared stories of our Gulf crossings and future plans. By 6:00 it was dark, we said our goodbyes, and returned to Crossroads for the evening. We turned on our Christmas lights and enjoyed the view of the city from the pilothouse.

We had supper onboard, trying to work down the amount of food in our freezer. Tomorrow we will depart with Miss Utah for the final time ... at least this year. They will stop in Tampa and we will continue on a short bit into Bradenton. We will both leave our boats for a few weeks and head home to visit our families for the holidays.

Diving for Sponges

Days 204 |  Tarpon Springs  

So much for the sunny warmth of Florida. We bundled up today in layers and headed back into town to make the most of our final day in Tarpon Springs. Chris and Roger (Miss Utah) invited us to hop in their dinghy with them for the ride over. It was a much quicker ride via water, than walking around and over the bridge. Once docked, the boys took off to the hardware store and the girls walked down to the end of Dodecanese Boulevard, where Chris had not yet been. I got a photo of her with Mr. Shrimp and then we walked to the dock to watch the pelicans perched in the tree across the way. Working back up the main commercial route, I unexpectedly spotted a pineapple growing in a pot. More artwork paid homage to the sponge industry. At the end of the Sponge Dock, we came upon the St. Nicholas sponge tour boat. The captain and diver were onboard and we chatted briefly, asked a lot of questions, and ultimately convinced them to brave the cold and take us out on a cruise at 1:30.

With just enough time for lunch, we rejoined the boys and had a quick meal at Hella's. Arriving back on the sponge boat at our designated time, we were treated to a demonstration of traditional sponge harvesting. Doug (the diver) meticulously put on his dry dive suit then put on his steel shoes, which weigh in at 12 lbs a piece. The next piece of the suit to go on was the 22 lb collar. It was inserted under the neck opening and the suit attached to the metal studs on the collar with wingnuts. A rope belt was put on to keep air from accumulating in the legs and feet of his suit.

As we made our way down the Anclote River to the sponge bed dive site, Captain George gave us a history lesson of the Tarpon Springs sponge industry and also passed around samples of the six types of sponges. First was the wool sponge, the most durable and softest. The vase sponge and finger sponge are used for decorative purposes. Doug posed for photos, had his 38 lb dive helmet and an additional 80 lbs of ballast attached, grabbed his sponge rake, and slid into the water. Today's sponge divers get to enjoy all the ease and comfort of modern scuba gear.

I found it interesting that he did not wear gloves. He swam about 100 feet from the boat, went under and came back up with a sponge on the rake. He said the most difficult part of the process is climbing up the ladder to get back on the boat. Once he made it to the bullwork, he put the harvested sponge onboard and graciously posed for more photos.

We all examined the sponge he brought up and were told of the additional steps required to get it ready for market. The thin dark layer is the actual sponge animal. It must be removed and the remaining exoskeleton (the sponge) is then dried and cleaned onboard. The temperature didn't make it out of the low 50s and we were cold so we returned to Hella's bakery. We sat inside, out of the wind, and enjoyed a little baklava to warm up. We then returned to the dingy and headed back to our boats as night fell.

Crossroads and Miss Utah are prepared to leave Tarpon Springs in the morning and do about five hours to Madiera Beach. We will continue on the inside passage, to avoid the choppy Gulf waters, but will need three bridges open for us. This is the way it goes in Florida -- fast and unpredictable on the outside, slow and more protected on the inside. Luckily these bridges open upon request and we're hopeful we won't see significant delays.

Enjoying a Snow Day ... Vicariously, of Course

Days 203 |  Tarpon Springs  

Heavy rain began falling much earlier than I anticipated and lasted through mid-morning. It was gray and heavily overcast so we left our Christmas lights turned on. We settled in and did some more inside projects as we received tornado warnings with our phone's weather alert service. I went through and deleted 3,000 bad pictures from my laptop and freed up 20 Gb of memory. Although I have been much better recently at managing pictures on a daily basis, I needed to sort through photos from early on in our Loop journey. This project was long overdue and hopefully now I won't get the dreaded "hard disk is full" warning for a while longer. As the hardest rain was falling, Barry realized that the dinghy drain plug was in, meaning it was filling with water up on the flybridge. Normally stored out so that rain can drain through, we had inserted the plug for our Gulf crossing so that the dinghy would be ready for launch in case of emergency. He got a little wet, but all was good as the water quickly drained out. He came back in and watched a PBS program on the Florida Keys to get his mind off of our current rain and wind. I brought the vacuum out and stared at it for a while before giving in and running it around the salon. Where does this stuff come from?

By early afternoon the sun peeked out for a while. We did three loads of laundry onboard. I went up to check on my Christmas Cactus which has been spending the past few weeks in front of the pilothouse window, soaking up the sun. It is loaded with buds and I hope it will bloom before we leave for Christmas. Fellow Loopers Jim and Allie (Meraki) stopped by at 5:30 for appys and to catch up on our trip down the inland rivers. They live nearby and Jim's office is here in Tarpon Springs. We met in Cape May, NJ and traveled up the Hudson River together. They left their boat in Alexandria Bay, NY, and have flown home to Florida for the winter. We had a great dinner at Mykonos, a Greek restaurant on Dodecanese Boulevard. I will say it once more, the Loop is as much about the people you meet along the way as it is the route you follow.

So the same front that brought us the heavy rain, dumped a foot or more of snow in North Carolina and Virginia. I was texting and talking with family and friends all afternoon, getting the latest report. There were snow angels, one happy dog, and an odd-looking snowman in Clemmons. The amount of snow that fell on Richmond was about double what was expected. It doesn't look like they'll be heading to work anytime fast tomorrow morning. It is no secret that I hate the cold and despise snow, and feel that snow is best when visited. That said, I sure hope it all melts by the time we return for Christmas.

We will be in Tarpon Springs for one more day. Tomorrow we'll do another load or two of laundry, get a pumpout, and fill the water tanks. Weather permitting, we'll also make a final walk up into town. Travel plans will be worked out with Miss Utah for our final two days together before saying goodbye for Christmas. I sure hope we'll catch up again as we continue around Florida and to the Bahamas. Its been a fun six weeks with them. Yes, its all about the people you meet along the way.

Soaking Up the Sun ... Like a Sponge (or Lizard)

Days 202 |  Tarpon Springs  

A good night's sleep was all we needed to recover from our Gulf crossing. We slept a bit later than normal, but were still ready to head into town by 10:00. It was a warm sunny day and we were thankful for the opportunity to be wearing short sleeves, shorts, and sunglasses. As we left the marina I saw a little lizard sunning on the rock. I understood how he felt. Our first stop when we turned onto Dodecanese Boulevard was the Visitor's Center. A decorated dolphin stood as a sentry by the door. Inside we met Sophia who graciously answered the many questions we asked, and gave us a great history of the town and Greek influence. She told us all about the various species of sponges harvested just offshore and had samples that we could touch. Loaded with all this knowledge, we continued on to the Sponge Dock. Buildings along the way were painted with scenes depicting the sponge harvest.

Tarpon Springs is known as the "Sponge Capital of the World" with a commercial industry dating back to the late 1880s. In the early 1900s, experienced divers from Greece came to town and there is a very large and active Greek community here today with restaurants, markets, and bakeries. Many of the sponge boats and streets have Greek names. (Dodecanese is a group of 12 Greek islands in the Aegean.) We briefly chatted with a gentleman who was on a boat trimming his catch of sponges to make them auction-ready. A sponge is an animal that clings to a rock or coral and eats plankton. It grows in diameter at about a quarter inch a month. The natural sponges are actually skeletons. The Sponge Diver Memorial Statue stands at dock.

We walked to the end of the road where Barry met a strange little fellow. On the way back, we stopped at a courtyard that had a cool turtle statue and a 42-foot sponge boat that was decommissioned back in 1982. The sign on the side of the Aegean Isles revealed its story, but all I'll remember is finding the typo. Ugghh. One thing that did surprise us was the presence of "hawkers" on the street. Much like what we've seen in Las Vegas and Tijuana, folks aggressively marketed their boat tour company (dolphin or sponge harvesting) or Greek restaurant. We agreed that we wouldn't eat at a place that had to corral clientele in that manner.

Along the Boulevard was a large Christmas tree and dozens of stores selling sponges, T-shirts, and other typical souvenirs. Another sponge diver statue was spotted in front of a hotel -- this one looking more "Hollywood" than the first. I don't know what these flowers are but they were a pleasant surprise along the road. We made it back to Crossroads around 2:00 and I chatted with Aunt B about the impending blizzard in Winston-Salem, NC that will drop about a foot of snow tomorrow. I then took a cue from the lizard and moved out to Fiberglass Beach for some reading and ray catching. At 5:00 we walked back into town and made it down to the end of the road just in time for sunset. I thought I had a great shot composed, but the pelican wouldn't stop preening itself long enough to sit in a classic pelican pose. Oh well. Close.

Back up Dodecanese Boulevard we went, passing several Greek restaurants along the way. The Christmas tree had its lights on so we stopped for our selfie of the day. While enjoying dinner at ShrimpWrecked, we made our plan for putting a string of Christmas lights on Crossroads. Starting at the bow with the middle of a 66-foot long, 200 bulb string, I wrapped the port rail and Barry did starboard. We shared some typical Christmas decorating cheer and held our breath for the Clark Griswald (Christmas Vacation) moment as we plugged the end of the string into the extension cord. Everything glowed festively and I climbed out on the pilothouse roof to capture this photo. I admit that from this angle it looks more like a disco floor and I joked that we needed a little Bee Gees to complete our version of Saturday Night Fever.

Tomorrow will start out cloudy, warm and breezy. A front will roll through mid-morning, bringing rain and gusty winds. It should stop raining in the afternoon, but the winds will whip up the waves in the Gulf and keep us here for another day. We'll work on a few more boat projects, some paperwork, and do some laundry. It will be our version of "snow day."

Overnight to Tarpon Springs

Days 200-201 |  Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs  |  20.6 Hours  |  150 Miles  

A favorable weather window finally opened up for a Thursday night crossing of the Gulf of Mexico to Tarpon Springs. To time our arrival properly, we needed to depart Carrabelle at 2:00 in the afternoon. That meant a lot of waiting around in the morning. In one sense, that was good as a low tide took all the water out of the marina. We woke up to a "---" reading on our depth gauge. A peek outside confirmed that we were sitting in mud. A few boat chores were checked off the list and then we went for a walk on this beautiful, but chilly, morning. Our view from the Carrabelle Riverwalk was that of a flat Carrabelle River. We liked the absence of wind and waves and knew this would make for a calm night on the water. Mature palm trees lined the streets and served as welcome signs to Florida. If only it were a bit warmer.

At 2:00 the tide had come in, we brought our docklines onboard, and were off. A total of 14 boats would make the crossing, divided into three groups based on boat speed and/or destination. Crossroads led the group to Tarpon Springs and Miss Utah was our safety monitor at the end of our line. We exited the GICW at East Pass, just past Dog Island and we were in the Gulf. At 3:07 we made a turn to Tarpon Springs at marker R2, 131 miles to go until the next day marker. It was a sunny afternoon and the Gulf was calm. Everyone followed in a nice line behind us. We were treated to an amazing sunset, and had lasagna for supper. All was good.

Shortly after sunset we lost all cellular service. I opened my iTunes library, hit "shuffle," and began what turned into 12 hours of eclectic music selections that kept us going through the night. We switched off on shifts at the helm, trying to swap every two hours. The hourly group radio check-ins usually woke the one trying to sleep, so neither Barry nor I got more than several naps. The sky was pitch black with a new moon. The stars were amazing and we easily identified Orion. Around 9:00 the wind began to pick up and stirred the wave activity as well. The waves were not tall (only rarely over 3 feet), were not particularly close together (3-4 second period), but they were on our beam when following the shortest-distance course. We tacked down the Gulf, trying to keep rocking to a minimum. On only three occasions did our bell ring, signifying a pretty good pitch/roll.

Truth is the crossing conditions were really no different than normal conditions we see at home in the Chesapeake Bay. As the sun came up through the windshield, the wind and waves began to calm. We then encountered another nemesis we are all too familiar with at home -- crab pots. For the final four hours we successfully dodged crab pots. We reached marker R4 at 9:00 in the morning and were docked in Tarpon Springs along with Miss Utah around 11:00. We cleaned and straightened Crossroads inside and out. Barry rinsed the thick salt spray accumulation from the exterior. Showers were followed by a little visiting and naps before we piled in Miss Utah’s dinghy and went over to Dimitri's on the Water for dinner. We ate on the deck overlooking the river and had front row seats for the Christmas Boat Parade. Everyone was fading fast after a long two days, so we returned to our boats and called it a night by 9:00.

We will explore Tarpon Springs tomorrow and do more weather forecasting. We have one more day of open water cruising to get to our final destination of the year in Bradenton. There is a large weather system heading this way, making our wind and wave forecasts less than ideal. As it looks right now, we'll get to know Tarpon Springs pretty well before we can leave next week.

A Day of Preparation and Small Victories

Day 199 |  Carrabelle    

Today was planned as a chance to relax, check items off the list, and prepare for tomorrow's Gulf crossing. Almost before my eyes were open, Barry had the Passage Weather reports up studying wind and wave forecasts for tomorrow night. Predicted numbers are still low for each, so preparations continued. What was also low was the water level here in the Carrabelle River. A look out our back window showed a nice little island that had emerged with the falling tide. Our charts had showed shoaling, but seeing the island gives a whole new perspective. Misty Pearl arrived from Apalachacola by mid-morning and pulled into the slip beside us. Several folks made comments about the twins being docked side-by-side.

It was bordering on cold this morning and I stayed inside paying bills, watching President Bush's funeral, and starting on a few Christmas cards. By 1:00 it had warmed up enough for the resident duck to swim by and for me to venture out for a walk. Chris (Miss Utah) joined me and we headed into town, first to the River Walk and Wharf. The park had signs outlining Carrabelle's history, a fish display that reminded me of a Dr. Seuss book (One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish), nice fishing piers, and these cool turtle sculptures for kids of all ages to climb on. From there we were off to the Bottlehouse, a site recommended by the lady we met at the gift shop yesterday.

You guessed right, bottles and concrete used to create a lighthouse and a small work shed. Definitely interesting in a small-town curiosity way. The wife came out to meet us as did her two friendly poodles. There had been another display, but it was lost just recently in Hurricane Michael. A pirate stopped us on the way back to Main Street and begged us to take photos with him. It was a warm and sunny day so we obliged. Our final stop was at the Carrabelle History Museum, located in the old city hall. Displays included ancient fossils, Carrabelle's "first people," nautical artifacts from the golden steamship age, and Civil War history.

Inside was the original "World's Smallest Police Station," complete with its rotary dial telephone. Seems Barry was photographed in a replica yesterday. Coming back to the marina, the "twins" were in full view. Barry and I spent an hour taking care of our future marina and rental car reservations and, most importantly, our healthcare marketplace renewal. When our "Submit" click was returned with an "Accepted" message, we were done. That called for a little and short-lived celebration. We went up to the flybridge and prepared our dinghy and ditchbag for tomorrow's crossing. The sun set over the harbor marking the end of our last full day in the Florida panhandle.

We joined the crew of Misty Pearl for dinner then gathered with the crews of all the other boats looking to cross tomorrow night. About 15 boats were represented at the meeting. Some will go to Tarpon Springs (like us) and others will head to Clearwater. Fingers crossed our weather window is accurate and holds for one more day. We were reminded today that forecasts are wild guesses at best and that there is a chance that, despite all or planning and weather watching, things will take a turn for the worse. We're prepared, Crossroads is built to handle conditions far worse than we can, and the Captain is highly capable. The crew is hoping the forecasted light winds and low waves holds true.

Back in the Eastern Time Zone!

Day 198 |  White City to Carrabelle  |  6.1 Hours  |  45 Miles  |  1 Time Zone  

I believe I was asleep before I clicked the "Publish" button on last night's blog entry and slept soundly until 5:30 when we were startled awake. First I heard a loud rumble, then felt an odd vibration. Finally bright lights illuminated the sky. Thinking that aliens had landed here in the middle of nowhere, we scrambled to see what was happening, forgetting first which way were oriented to the water, and then that Miss Utah was rafted up to us and limiting our view from the water-side ports. All of a sudden we put the pieces together -- we were being passed by the tow Rivers Wilson, the same massive dredge assembly that we had passed late yesterday afternoon.

Shortly thereafter we were up to start our day. I took a quick walk around White City Park to stretch my legs and then we were off. Our route to Carrabelle took us directly into the sun spot, and it was a strain on the eyes for a few hours until the sun rose higher in the sky. Today's signs of hurricane damage were relocated buildings. This little red guy looked to be in pretty good shape until we passed by and saw the tree sticking out its side. We still haven't figured out the sequence of events leading to this -- the roof and opposite wall were intact, so the building must have settled on top of the tree.

There were a few boats seen washed ashore or sunken, but we saw a dozen or so displaced houses on our way to Lake Wimico. The old railroad swing bridge was open and didn't look like it had been operational in years.

Three hours into our travels we met up with, and passed once again, Rivers Wilson. Although it had a 90-minute head start on us out of White City, it could not move very fast with its large and awkward load. Wide open at 8.5 knots, we tracked it down as it was moving along at just under 3 knots. On the passage into Apalachicola the hardwood trees showed no sign of hurricane damage and palm trees grew naturally among them. Wildlife sightings were few today, but the eagle we saw on a daymarker in Little St. George Channel proved quality wins over quantity. We entered Carrabelle Channel and were quickly reminded that this area was devastated by Hurricane Michael. Many docks still remain unusable and there were a few sunken boats along the way. The marina we are in, C-Quarters, had been closed for several weeks post-storm and is still waiting for replacement fuel pumps to arrive so that they can return to being a full-service facility.

We were tied up by 2:00, the sun was out, and it was warm. We changed clothes and went for a quick walk around town. Christmas decorations hung next to the palm trees. Barry visited the World's Smallest Police Station. The town square had a very nice statue of an eagle carrying the flag. I was excited to see a town clock. We stopped in a few independent stores and were warmly greeted by every local we met. They truly are happy to have visitors return to their town. The sun set over the water, and the temperature quickly dropped.

The biggest plus of our day was the return to the Eastern Time Zone shortly after departing White City. Yes, I know I've complained too much over the past few months about this one hour difference, but it has been a major unanticipated inconvenience along our journey. At least in my mind, I now feel that I am not so far away and disconnected from everyone back home.

Tomorrow we have a short list of maintenance items and chores to check off before we begin our overnight Gulf crossing to Tarpon Springs. Our weather window is still looking good for Thursday night.

Passing Through Hurricane Michael's Destruction

Day 197 |  Santa Rosa Beach to White City  |  9.7 Hours  |  79 Miles  

Our taste of warm temperatures was short lived. More rain fell overnight from the front that just won't move off of us. The morning broke with heavy cloud cover that filtered the sunlight into a warm yellow glow. Our flag shone majestically in this low light. A rainbow guided us out of Hogtown Bayou and on our way east. The low-level gray clouds gave way to upper level white clouds and blue sky. Eventually the rain cells caught up with us from behind and a hard shower fell. As we neared Panama City, we began to see more debris in the water. Seagulls had staked claim to a section of dock.

The remains of a sailboat were lodged against a bridge. Daymarkers guided us into an area known as the Grand Canyon. It looked very much like they were guiding us into a forest. The water narrowed and snaked us through a very remote section of the Florida Panhandle. It began raining hard once again, but I braved the wetness to step outside and watch the dolphins playing in our wake.

Nothing about the Grand Canyon seemed that grand until I looked behind us to see the full rainbow arching over Miss Utah. We came up on a group of six slow-moving tugs, barges, and dredges as we exited into West Lake. We soon realized that we had only begun to see the wrath of Hurricane Michael that struck this area on October 10 with 155 mph winds. Panama City's storm surge was the second-highest on record and, eight-weeks later, clean-up and recovery still has a very long way to go. Boats of all sizes could be seen in odd positions and locations.

We were passed by a salvage barge loaded with six sailboats. For miles it seemed every house had a blue roof, but they were all covered with tarps. For days we had heard the Coast Guard's Notice to Mariners of a salvage operation taking place in Saint Andrew's Bay. We were shocked when we came upon the scene, and then even more so when we read the story behind the loss of this brand new 261-foot fishing trawler. Click this link to see the overhead video and a short article on the fate of the North Star.

We passed just inland (on the GICW) of where Michael made landfall on the coast at Mexico Beach and wiped out the entire town.

Trees were snapped in half. Luckily a few more dolphin came along to take our mind off what we were witnessing. Today was a very long day. We traveled 79 nautical miles, which is the equivalent of 90 statute (road) miles. We neared the free dock at White City as the sun was beginning to set. The refection of the sun and trees in our wake made for a nice view from our stern. There were three options for tying up at this area and we quickly dismissed the first two because of a wild current that made for a difficult approach and a high cantilevered dock which we felt Crossroads would get pinned under at low tide. That left one small floating dock. We came in first and then Miss Utah rafted up to us as they found similar issues with Options A and B.

The good news is that today's long miles make for a bit shorter day tomorrow. We will head to Carrabelle, stay at the marina for two nights, get off the boat and walk around a lot, then prepare for our Gulf crossing to Tarpon Springs. Our weather window is still looking good. Fingers crossed that it holds a few more days.